the arugula files

Last Chance Kale

When Josie was a baby, she ate a lot of kale.  Most of the time she ate it with cheese-y grits.  Perfect food for feeding a 9 month old: soft, green, delicious.  No worries about choking, but still real food.  

Then one day she said, no thank you and stopped eating kale. I kept putting it on her plate, but she would just work around it.  Not long after, she proclaimed it yucky.  Sigh.

This dish is my last chance kale.  I thought, kids like little pies so why not give it a try?  And, guess what, she ate it.  She actually picked off the sides of the phyllo crust and just ate the green parts.  For real.  So much for my little pie theory.

Last chance kale.  

Get it while you can.

 

Fall at the Market

Just One Bite, New Website Featuring Kid Friendly CSA Recipes

Feeding kids isn't that easy.  

I found that Josie became pickier as she grew closer to two, but I stuck with serving her a variety of foods, usually what we were eating, and now that she is three, I can see her slowly becoming less picky, I think.

So what helps?  What's the secret?  Talking to other Moms (and Dads).  That's it.  

Hearing about how they struggle too.  About what dishes have been a hit and what dishes totally bombed.  Knowing that some Moms feed their kids eggs for dinner too.  Figuring out different ways to cook broccoli because it's one of the only green vegetables your kid will eat.

I want to tell you about a little side project I've been working on with some Moms in my neighborhood.  It's a website called Just One Bite.  The website is a growing collection of about 80 recipes (you can submit your own here) made with seasonal ingredients from local farms.  There are also helpful tips for feeding kids healthy, whole foods.

These recipes have helped me figure out how to make dishes that include tomatoes, broccoli, and bok choy among other vegetables, that we all like as a family.

My Go-To Week Night Dinner: Chipotle Grilled Chicken Fajitas with Guacamole and Salsa, Plus my Final Thoughts on Dinner: A Playbook (And a Give Away)

I've cooked this meal at least 97 times.  It's my go-to crowd pleaser.  Chicken breast, seasoned with chipotle pepper and some kosher salt, and then, after grilling, drizzled with lime.  Grilled peppers and onions with fixings like guacamole and salsa on the side. (Sometimes I buy the guacamole and salsa from Whole Foods.  Shhhh).  

My family knows this meal.  We eat it at least twice a month.  

This is what my dinner rut looks like, which isn't terrible. 

 

CSA Lancaster Farm Fresh Cooperative (and what I'm going to cook from it)

I've told you about my CSA before.  Here's my haul from Lancaster Farm Fresh Cooperative:

• sungold cherry tomatoes - Crystal Springs Farm
• sweet onions - Wrightsdale Acres
• new red potatoes - Bellview Organics
• green bell peppers - Twin Pines Organics
• red beets - Shady Hollow Organics
• orange carrots - chemical free - Shady Hollow Organics
• collard greens - swap box
• zucchini - swap box
• rosemary - herb share

I've been on the road for a bit.  Either at the beach eating Thrasher's french fries, or, shortly after, on a business trip ordering room service.  I'm looking forward to some fresh, healthy, home cooked meals!  I plan to make the following:

• quinoa stuffed green peppers
• summer borscht 
• chilled carrot soup
• zucchini ricotta gnocchi
• potato and onion frittata
• tomato and basil salad on garlic bread

 Sounds good, right?

Swiss Chard and Barley Gratin

I want to love swiss chard.  Who couldn't love this gorgeous vegetable?   But as I've mentioned before, for me, swiss chard is lacking in the taste department.  Too bitter and not enough texture.  Enter cream.  Also, parmesan.  And garlic.  Finally, barley.  Wait, what?  Barley?  Yes, haven't you heard, I love barley now.

English Peas, Plus To Filter or Not to Filter?

 

My sister, one of my top advisors, says I've gone "filter crazy."  Says I need to stop.  

I will admit, I have a problem.  I love photo filters (instagram, VSCOcam, etc)  and I want to spend all my money on photoshop "actions."  I will admit that sometimes it's clear that filters are too much, but sometimes I just can't decide which version of a photo I like best: the original or the filtered.

What do you think of these peas?  Which one do you like best?  (Original after the jump).

Blueberry Picking at Butler's Orchard